The initial band formation consisted of Richard, Sean and Cobi, who met at Musicians Institute in Hollywood in 2011. Bonding over their interest in mid-twentieth century music, they first began playing music together at Redman's Hollywood apartment. The band's name mirrors that of doo-wop groups such as The Cleftones, and reflects their attempt to seamlessly blend an array of sounds Their self-titled debut was "an eight-track effort steeped in expertly executed surf riffs and rolling percussion", released as a cassette on L.A.'s garage-pop Lolipop label in 2013. The trio were subsequently joined by Dakota and London, after which they self-released their second album, American Brunch, in 2015. Through their first two albums, The Buttertones principally cultivated a musical following in Los Angeles, playing 'practically every venue' and becoming 'a household name in the 20-something Echo Park/Silver Lake/Los Feliz crowd.' The band have cited a diverse range of musical influences on their sound, including The Clash, The Cramps, The Gun Club, The Birthday Party and Scott Walker, explaining that 'from the moment a sound speaks to us, we tend to integrate it into our music, as long as it's coherent with a whole. We don't really have sound aesthetics or stable influences. We don't care about labels.'
Gravedigging (2017)
The Buttertones' third album, Gravedigging was released on 31 March 2017. The album was recorded at Jazzcats studio in Long Beach in the spring of 2016, and was produced by Jonny Bell of Crystal Antlers. Gravedigging is the most collaborative of the band's albums, with songwriting and vocals from guitarist Dakota Böttcher on 'I Ran Away'. The release of Gravedigging garnered the band an increase in publicity: 'from a band who has so far threatened without actually nailing a bona fide tail on the donkey...Gravedigging might well be an early contender for soundtrack of the year.' The album was met with generally positive reviews upon its release. It has been described as 'refreshing and innovative', 'stylish, dark, and a lot of fun', and as 'more of a series of cinematic vignettes than anything else...As each song has its own micro-theme, Araiza's voice seems to adopt a character to suit each song's story.'
Midnight in a Moonless Dream (2018)
The Buttertones released their fourth studio album, Midnight in a Moonless Dream, via Innovative Leisure on 4 May 2018. Recorded at Jazzcats Studio with Gravedigging producer Jonny Bell, the album reflects the band's attempt to craft a darker sound, to experiment vocally and instrumentally, and to step outside the surf rock genre. All songs on the album are sung by Richard Araiza, with the exception of "Don't Cry Alone", which is sung by Dakota Böttcher. The album release was accompanied by an appearance at Coachella Music and Arts Festival, European and North American tours, and the release of a further single, "Madame Supreme", in October 2018.
Jazzhound (2020)
The Buttertones began the year as opening act for The Reverend Horton Heat, and announced the release of their fifth album, Jazzhound, on 10 April 2020. The album was their first following the departure of guitarist Dakota Böttcher, with drummer Cobi switching instruments to take his place.
Controversy
On 15 July 2020, Clementine Creevy of Cherry Glazerr posted a statement on Instagram in which she accused Sean Redman of statutory rape and sexual misconduct: " I was 14 and he was 20...He also insisted on not using protection and gave me HPV. That was the first time I had sex." Creevy also made reference to having witnessed "a culture of predatory, misogynistic, and abusive behavior towards women by Sean, some of his bandmates in the Buttertones, and other men in their circle." In response to the allegations, Los Angeles-based label Innovative Leisure announced it was dropping The Buttertones effective immediately.
